Adjustable gate



May 15, 1923. v 1,455,356

R. T. ROLFE ADJUSTABLE GATE:

Filed July 14. 1921 l'mvamwf' @Z TfZoZ/fig 2 0255555.-

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Patented May 15, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT orricag BIAL T. ROLFE, DECEASED, LATE OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS, BY OLIVE ROLFE, EXECU- 'IRIX, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BOLFE IRON ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ADJUSTABLE GATE.

Application filed. July 14,

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that RIAL T. RoLrn, deceased, late a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Harvey, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, has invented certain newv and useful Improvements in an Adjustable Gate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gates, and pertains particularly to improvements in the construction of roadway gates designed to be pivota-lly supported at one end for horizontal swinging movement.

The manufacturer who would undertake the production of gates in quantities for commercial. distribution encounters many problems which are not evident to the average person, and which are not encountered by aworkman skilled in the art who has forehand knowledge of the particular conditions obtaining in each instance in which he may be called" upon tosupply a gate. In the first place, the manufacturer of gates on a commercial scale for general distribution is met with the consideration of producing an article which may be sold at a sufficiently low price to make it profitable to a purchaser tobuy the same rather than build it lation, over a space of time.

himself with such materials and labor as he may have available, and by which means he himself ordinarily can produce it at a very small cost. In the second place, the manufacturer of such gates must provide a structure which will satisfactorily meet a great variety of conditions under which the gate must beinstalled and used, such conditions varying as between different installations, and varying also in each particular instal- For example, he must provide a gate which is adapted for installation on roadways where the elevation between the fence; portions at opposite" sides of the roadway varies, and also where the post on which the gate is hinged may be expected to change under the weight of the gate and pressures induced by its use.

The general purpose of the present invention is the productionof a gate structure, wliichwill admit of construction at a very low initial cost,- and which is adaptable as nearly as" possible to all the varying condi: tions. of installation and use.

- More specifically, the various-objects of the invention comprise the production of a 1921. Serial No. 484,810.

gate which may be largely constructed, par ticularly as to the frame, out of re-claimed material, such as discarded boiler tubes, which may be. fabricated and assembled by simple and inexpensive operations, and which includes features whereby the frame members may be relatively adjusted so as to vary their angular relationship to accommodate the gate to different inclinations, and provide for the requisite-extent of adiustments and at the same time contribute the necessary strength and stability in the connections to constitute a durable and strong structure requisiteto 'with'standthe usage to which it is subjected.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter, will be obvious from the following disclosure, or indicated in the appended claims, reference being had to the drawings forming a part of this specification'in which an illustrative embodiment is shown, it being understood that the scope of the invention includes similar constructions varying in particulars from the form Fig. 3 is a detail of the stay-adjusting and retaining means.

Referring to these drawings by means of the reference numerals applied, let'it be understood that'the numeral 1 designates a post upon which the gate maybe hinged and numeral 2 designates a cooperating post upon which the gate may be latched. The gate itself includes, the end posts 4, the top rail 5 and thebottom rail'6. These members preferably are formed of tubing, an economical sort of which is discarded boiler tubes properly treated to resist weathering. For forming the connection between the rails and the posts, straight tubes of suitable length are split longitudinally at their ends for a short distance, the severalportions being straightened in parallel relationship to form. cooperating arms 7 having their facing surfaces spaced apart substan tially the external diameter of the post member with which they are, to cooperate. Dis

posed in contact with the outer sides of the arms 7 and the adjacent integral portion of the tub e'are similarly formed connection members 8 having curved parts adapted to embrace the tube closely and parts adapted to lie in close contact with the flat arms 7 and the curved parts joining them to the integral tube. These connection members are secured to the tube by any easily asseni bled means such as through-bolts 9, in such fashion that they are supported rigidly thereon. The arms 7 and overlying portions of the connection members 8are oppositely apertured for the reception of a pivotbolt 10 designed to pass through the post member 4 when the latteris interposed between the arms 7. In the slotting. and shaping of the tubeto provide the arms 7, the bifurcation is of sufiicient extentto allow for a con siderable change of angularity between'the post t and the rail tube as they may be moved relatively on the pivot afforded by the bolt 10, and. the form and extent of the arms 7 aresuchthat substantial bearing contact isafforded between them and the side 01 the post onopposite sides of the pivot bolt, in all angular positions of the post and rail. The four connections between the posts and rails being formed in this fashion, very substantial but-flexible joints are provided, which will permit of the necessary change of angularity ofsaid members in the plane of the structure, and at the same time retain the parts substantially against twisting or deflection out .of that plane. By means of the connectionmembers 8 the material in the arms 7 is effectively supported against twisting, and because of the substantial longitm: dinal bearing contact between the curved portions of said members and the shaft of the rail, the arms 7 are relieved of half of the weight of the su orted portions of the structure, such weight being transmitted directly: from thebolt to the integral portion of the tubing. 1 This articulated assembly of the posts and rails permits of the adjustment of the gate relative to the hinge post to accommodateit to a lateral slope of the roadway in either direction, or to variations of the supporting wires.

For.-the purpose ofsu'staining the frame members 1n the" desired angular relationship, one .or more diagonal stay members l t-may be provided, anchored'at the upper end to the hinge post, and extending diagonally to the lower rail or to the lower portion of the latch post. In the form. illustrated a transverse stay member in the form ofa rod or heavy gauge wireis shown, the same carrying a short chain 15 at one end, which chain is arranged in cooperation with a suitable keeper 16 pivotally mounted on the frame member. As illustrated in Fig. 3, this keeper may be in the formof a slotted plate or link affording an aperture 16 adaptedto'permit the passage of the-chainlinks, and merging into a slot 16 adapted to accommodate'thet thickness of the linksbut not their width. The chain may be drawn through the aperture 16 of the keeper to the desired extentand engaged in theislot 16 as illustrated in Fig. 3, thereby serving with the diagonal stay member'to supportthe free end of the gate. at the desired elevation or angularity relative to the hinge post, which disposal may be changed as desired by shifting other. links of the chaininto the effective engagement with the keeper; The pivotal mounting of the keeper accommodatesthe change of angularityof the frame member upon which it is mounted relative to the hinge post.

r The gate may be mounted for horizontal a convenient means being providedby substantial eye-bolts 17 strung .onto the hinge post, the upper one engaging a collar or flange 18 thereon to'limit downward movement of the post. Any suitable latch 19 may swinging movement in any suitable fashion,

be arranged for retention. ofthe free end of the -gate.-- 1

" Thestructure may be shipped-in compact 105. i

disassembled form by rolling the fabric about the disconnected post members and securing the rail members and stays in parallel, relationship therewithi A gate -constructed in the fashion above described fulfills the contemplated commercial requirements in that'it may be manufactured very cheaply,'and may be quickly assembled at the place of installationby simply-seating the pivot bolts 10, bolting up the stay members 12, and forming the desired connections between the wire mesh andthe rail members. The assembledstructureis'very stable due to the substantial bearing areas provided by the connections between the posts and rails, and the great variety of conditions which gates are required to meet are-accommodated by the range of adjustability afforded.

Iclaim:" v

1. A gate construction including post members and tubular rail members, the latparallel arms engaging opposite sides of the post members, I connection members having parts embracing tubular portions of therails and parallel portions overlying and contact ter having their ends bifurcated to. form ing said parallel arms, fastening means rigidly connecting the connection members to said tubular portions of the rail members and pivot bolts seated in the post members and passing through the parallel arms and the overlying portions of the connection members, said bolts servingas connections for the rail and post members and cooperatingwith said fastening means to maintain the connection members in contact with the parallel arms of the rail members.

2. In a gate construction, post members and tubular rail members, the latter having bifurcated ends shaped to form parallel arms engaging opposite sides of the post members, connection members having curved portions embracing tubular portions of the rail members and fiat portions overlying and contacting said parallel arms, fastening 20 means cooperating with said curved portions to maintain the connection members rigidly in alignment on the rail members, pivot bolts seatedin the post members and passing through said pa'rallelarms and connection,

members whereby the rail members are supported on the post through the connection members and the parallel arms, saidpivot bolts cooperating with the fastening means to maintain the connection members inalign- Ewecutrim of the Estate 'ofRz'aZ T. Rolfe,

deceased.

Witnesses:

FRANCES K. GILLEsPIE, WM. NEVARRE CRoMWnLL. 

